Love of the Sun
by seri-chan
Summary: Chi-Chi and Goku both have had previous lifetimes, and now, in the ancient Aztec world, they’re struggling to be together. Of course, it doesn’t help that fate is trying its best to keep them apart.
1. Prologue

A/N: Hey, everyone! It's Seri-chan. Okay, this is a G/CC fic, and it's gonna be my first epic. I think I'm gonna make it four parts, and five chapters each. This is my first really serious fic, but it will have some humor. I'm just saying there might be some level of angst, but not a lot. I want to make this story my masterpiece, because I really identify with the entire plot. It's my favorite idea, and I did a lot of research on the whole topic. Well, I love you. Please review, suggestions, praise, or anything else. Love you.  
  
Disclaimer: GOSH DARN IT, I OWN DRAGONBALL Z! Phew, I just wanted to say that ONCE. Naw, I don't own DBZ. All I own is a few CD's, some books, and a lil' stuffed bunny, but even if you sue, YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET IT!  
  
  
Prologue  
  
Unlike most stories, you don't need to read the prologue.  
  
Unlike most stories, there are no fairy tale endings.   
There are no star- crossed lovers, or damsels in distress. Because that isn't life.  
  
There are no prissy themes on romance, or that life is wonderful. Because sometimes, it's not.  
  
However, it does acknowledge that love exists. Because while not one couple in a century experiences true, binding love, it does exist. Rare though it is, it does exist.  
  
This story is made to acknowledge one simple, yet non-cynical fact: God in His wisdom created love. That He made it so that somewhere, two souls were created for each other, and throughout time and space, their love will always be there.  
  
This story is not dark, yet it's no fairy tale. It's life, complete with all it's tribulations and joys.  
  
So what is this story about? It's about two of my very close friends. Throughout time, there were five worlds, and this is the fifth. While in the previous four ages, it was recognized that there were various worlds, various suns, in this age there is no such certainty. My friends have lost any recollection that they may have had about their previous times, their previous lives.   
  
Only I am able to remember, simply because I can see across time. Because I can pass through the line of living and dead, through the line of past and present, and through the line of reality and imagination.  
  
This story is not a romance. It deals with two very unique people, and one extremely unique legend.   
  
Unique in the fact that these two people's destinies are so completely, intricately entwined that no cataclysmic event could ever possibly separate them. And unique in the fact that, unlike most legends, this one is fact.   
  
  
A/N: Well, like it so far? Believe me, a LOT more will be coming. Review, plez. I'm so desperate I'll take anything, even flames. Peace. 


	2. Scroll 1

A/N: Hiya people! Okay, the first official chapter of Love of the Sun is here. I wish I could have come up with a less corny title *lol*. Well, tough. Okay, I put in a lot of work on this story so far, and I'm so happy I got reviews. You all make me so happy *wipes a tear of joy* Heh heh, well, let's go. On to the story!

Disclaimer: Psychiatrist- Say it with me. _I don't own Dragonball Z._ Come on, you can do it. 

****

Scroll One::Record One

__

Something has taken control now/Your life's hopes and dreams are gone/ Are you satisfied with your life now?

"Love can sometimes be magic, but magic can be an illusion."

Chi-Chi gazed down at the awe-struck, black-topped heads staring up at her in silence. She smiled and reached a hand down to ruffle one of those tiny heads. The owner of the head squirmed under her touch and grinned up at her.

It was obvious that the story was over, but none of the children that made up her audience wanted to leave. Reluctantly, one by one the children stood up, touched the small gold ring that Chi-Chi wore on her little finger, and hugged her legs, before rushing off to their parents or chores. 

The final child, a little girl, walked shyly up to her, stroked the ring, and stepped back, staring up at Chi-Chi's face. She hesitated, then, summoning up her courage, the little girl asked a question. "Miss Chi-Chi, I have a question." The tiny girl faltered for a second, then bravely continued. "Where did that story come from? It's awfully strange. I thought that love was forever."

Chi-Chi smiled down at her. "Yes, little one. Love is forever. But sometimes, love isn't love. A person may be wrong when they think they love someone." A wistful look flashed across her face, and then the cheerful smile was back in place. "But don't worry, little gold. I can see. You will know love soon."

The little girl smiled hesitantly and backed away. There was no denying the Priestess' predictions, but it was always uncomfortable being witness to one. She turned around and started to run, then stopped and glanced over her shoulder. "Priestess," she began. Chi-Chi glanced up from a basket containing various herbs and nodded. The girl's eyes darkened, appearing strangely smoky and misty.

"Life's a prison when you're in love alone. You won't be in you're bonds much longer."

Chi-Chi covered the ground between them in less than a second, and knelt down, grabbing the little one's shoulders. "Pretty one, what does that mean?" she asked, her voice desperate and urgent. A wild look flashed in Chi-Chi's eyes and then vanished. 

The tiny girl smiled hesitantly once more, and spoke, voice low and silky. "It'll be over soon." Her head shook slightly, and she grinned. "I have to go, Priestess." She turned around and began walking.

Chi-Chi was standing straight, shoulders shaking slightly. She suddenly called out, voice quavering slightly. "Bye, little one."

The small girl turned around and bowed low, answering back. "Bye, Mama."

******

A few days had passed. Chi-Chi sat down in front of the massive chart that covered most of the east wall and let her eyes wander across it. It was covered with stars and planets, and hundreds of lines of complicated script. Very few could interpret the ancient runes, but she was a Priestess. She was one of the First People. No knowledge was hidden from her. 

Not for the first time, Chi-Chi stood up and studied a small patch of stars in the exact center of the chart. It was a puzzle; there was something different about this particular patch of stars, but no Priest could quite put their finger on it.

"You're there again, aren't you?"

The words were more of a statement, an observation, than a question. Chi-Chi jumped instinctively, then settled down. "Yes," she whispered. "I'm there, but I don't know where it is. I don't know _what_ it is."

"No one does, Priestess." A well-built teenager sat down beside her and stared up at the chart. "But you're close. I can feel it." He smiled benignly and reached for her hand, pulling her down to sit next to him. "You'll find the answer soon, big sister."

Chi-Chi grinned at him and lay her head on his shoulder affectionately. "Thank you, Gyuu." She frowned slightly. "I can't stop thinking about it, though."

Chi-Chi stood up again and hauled him up. Breath coming in ragged gasps, she traced a hand gently on the patch of starts. She could feel the power and energy practically emanating from that small patch. Sighing slightly, she closed her eyes, allowing the warmth to radiate through her entire body. Her body suddenly went rigid and her eyes snapped open. A tiny smile hovered across her lips, only to be replaced by an angry scowl.

"I almost had it for a second," she whispered. "I could almost feel it," Chi-Chi faltered. "I know that this is important, but I can't tell why."

With an angry growl of frustration, she slammed her fist into the adobe wall, earning a startled jump from her brother. With a sigh she slumped against the wall, holding her face in her hands. Gyuu placed a hand on her shoulder and spoke gently.

"Don't worry about it, sister." He grinned happily. "Don't worry. I feel the answer, whatever it is, will arrive soon. The gods will grant you your answer."

******

In her dreams, Chi-Chi was crying. Not too loudly, so as not to wake the child slumbering in her arms. Just soft, shuddering gasps of pain. She laid her head down on the soft blanket covering the sleeping babe, her sobs muffled in the fabric. In her mind she knew that she was dreaming, but the fact wasn't registering.

Chi-Chi lifted her tear-stained face from the cloth and stared around at the mists blanketing her surroundings. She hiccuped slightly and turned her head in all directions, looking for any traces of life. Crying out softly, her ear craned, desperately searching for any sound.

"Mama?" Chi-Chi sobbed again, but stubbornly searched the mists for signs. "Papa?" She paused again, wondering if she had heard a sound. "Gyuu? Gyuu?" She buried her head in the cloth again, closing her mind to the sounds of pain and hate reverberating through her mind. A small cry of pain burst forth from her lips, echoing in the mist. The small baby in her arms shuddered and began crying, wails that sliced the air.

The tears in Chi-Chi's eyes automatically disappeared, and she made a soft cooing noise, cuddling the baby to her chest. "Shh, little brother," she whispered. The babe giggled softly and buried his head in her chest, begging for milk. Chi-Chi giggled and shook her head. "All right, little brother." She patted her swollen stomach. "I'll give you all I have right now, but in a few months you'll have to share. 

She looked around happily, the pain of the moments before forgotten, giving way to pure joy at the little baby in her arms. "Today is you're first birthday. So, what will I name you, baby brother?" Chi-Chi smiled, mind searching for a name. "All right, brother. Gyuu. Do you like that? Gyuu Maou. After your father."

******

A little confused? I mean, isn't this story about Goku and Chi-Chi? Well, it'll clear up in a little while. After all, it's my job to bring things to light.

******

Chi-Chi sat, kneeling before the large golden statue of Tezcatlipoca. She had been in this position for the past five hours, but over the years, her legs had become accustomed to the position and they didn't become sore anymore.

Eyes wide and unblinking, she stared up at the god. "The Sun," she whispered. Her eyes closed, and her form crumpled. Chi-Chi sighed softly, her mind focusing on a mental picture of the Sun. Slowly, her breaths grew deep and even, and she fell asleep.

_Chi-Chi knelt down, nursing a tiny baby. Nearby, a toddler was playing with his golden bracelets, making tiny noises of approval. She cooed quietly to the little babe, and ruffled the toddler's crop of hair. Laughing, the toddler grabbed her finger and nibbled on it. _

Chi-Chi grinned and laughed loudly. Outside, the sounds of the hustle and bustle of the city were still loud and noisy, but slowly drawing to a close. A few children stopped and waved at her through the open door, and their parents smiled and nodded. 

Only minutes later, the outdoor noise had almost stopped, and the sun had completely set. Chi-Chi placed the baby in a pouch across her chest, and grabbed the toddler's hand. She walked over and lit a large fire in the middle of the room, light enveloping the entire room.

Sitting down in front of the fire, the two children in her lap, she started singing, a low, haunting melody of pain and happiness. Almost without her noticing, the babies fell asleep. She kept on singing, and was taken completely by surprise when a low voice called out to her.

"Have you figured it out yet?"

Chi-Chi crushed the two babies to her chest and spun around. Placing them on a blanket, she raised her arms in defense, her narrowed eyes taking everything in at a glance. A tall man was leaning against the east wall, playing with the large chart. 

She took a step forward, hiding the children from view. "What the hell are you doing here?" she demanded. The man glanced over at her before looking back at the chart. 

"Have you figured it out yet?" he repeated. A glow was beginning to form around him, and his eyes were wide and unblinking. Chi-Chi relaxed slightly. In the back of her mind, she knew that she was dreaming, and that the person in front of her wasn't even really human. She walked up to the wall and placed her hand on the chart. Her gaze drifted over the patch of stars that was confusing her so much. The man smiled at her. "Let me help you."

He placed a hand on her shoulder, and she shuddered slightly. His hand was burning hot, and with a start she realized exactly who he was and why he had come.

He grabbed her hand and held it over the cluster of stars. "What is the name of this one?" he asked. "And this one. And this one. And what happens when those two align? How many stars are there? Do you realize that they are forming five circles, which together makes a large one? Put it all together."

With a start, Chi-Chi woke up. She bolted up and shot out of the door of the temple, running as fast as she could toward her home. 

She spun around a corner, bowling into her brother and knocking him over. Not even bothering to say 'sorry,' she sprung up and was running faster than ever.

Gasping for breath, Chi-Chi ran into her house. She slid to a stop as soon as she entered. There was her daughter, staring up at the chart and speaking quietly. Her daughter's eyes were large and unblinking, and they looked almost as if they were glowing. Her daughter suddenly shivered and turned slowly around. Her eyes lost the strange glow and she grinned up at her mother. "Hi Mama," she called. "I'm gonna go and play."

Her daughter skipped out of the house, and joined a group of children, running and laughing. Chi-Chi shook her head to clear up any confusion. "She was probably just curious. It's not the first time she's looked at it," she said loudly, trying to convince herself.

She slowly walked up to it, and stood staring up at it. With a cry of frustration, she tore the cloth chart down of the wall, and laid it on the floor. Her finger slid over the stars, marking each one. Her eyebrows furrowed, as she struggled to remember everything her dream had stated. She numbered every single one of the stars in the patch, naming each of them. Chi-Chi grabbed a knife, and began writing on the earth floor, noting every number. 

Finally, Chi-Chi finished counting every one, and totaled the numbers on the floor. She lay her head on her hands, shaking away the confusion. With a flash of comprehension, she took the five sets of numbers and added them together. Shaking her head slowly, she found the three stars that were brighter than all the rest, and were, by some strange fate, perfectly aligned. She translated their ancient names into the modern language, and stood up rapidly. 

All of a sudden, the numbers were adding up, and she understood everything. 

Everything.

Chi-Chi backed away from the chart lying on the floor, until her back was pressed against the opposite wall. Her daughter walked in. "Mama," she said. "Guess what I learned! The giants are coming back near the wall! The priest says don't worry, because they'll never find the entrance to the city. The priest also says that the tigers are going to come back again. He says that the last time they came was thirty-five years ago. He says we have to be careful, or they could eat all of us."

Chi-Chi shot past her daughter. There was only one thought on her mind, and that was confirming her discovery. Because if she was right… well, she just had to hope that she _wasn't_ right.

With a final burst of speed, she shot into the entrance of Tezcatlipoca's temple. The statue of him was in a far room, and she slid to a halt in front of the idol. Closing the door behind her, she kneeled hastily in front of the figure and closed her eyes. Almost immediately, her form crumpled, and she fell asleep.

_"You went too far."_

Chi-Chi spun around to face the speaker. He was completely black, and darkness seemed to almost radiate from him. It wasn't the first time that Chi-Chi had glimpsed him in dreams, and she feel to her knees. "Sun." she whispered reverently. "Tezcatlipoca."

"You went too far, Priestess," he repeated. "You walked where you should not have."

Chi-Chi shook her head in confusion, staring at his feet so she wouldn't have to look at his blazing eyes. "I don't get it. How did I go too far? Your messenger gave me the answer. He came from you."

The god shook his head almost pityingly. "The messenger has been punished. He wasn't sent from me. Your mate acted on his own accord."

Chi-Chi glanced up at him. "Gyuu is the spirit of my mate, and he's your messenger. I thought his job was to protect me and speak on your behalf. He would never let me go too far."

Tezcatlipoca smiled kindly. "That's where you're wrong. The messenger is the spirit of your mate, and even unconsciously, he wants to protect you. Therefore, I granted him the ability to do so, even if he would be punished. He wants to protect you from what will come. From what you have seen."

She shook her head again. "I don't understand. How is anything going to protect me from what will happen later? There's no way to escape."

The god frowned. "There is only one way to escape what will happen, and that is to die peacefully." Chi-Chi gasped, but he continued. "Only one is allowed to see the events that will take place, and it was not you. Only one Priestess will be able to predict the deaths. Can you guess who it will be? Can you see who the gods picked?"

Chi-Chi could feel a tug on her spirit. All of a sudden, everything became clear. "Yes. I can tell who the Priestess will be."

"My daughter. My little Chi-Chi."

Gyuu Maou knew something was wrong. He could tell something had happened, something bad. His walk turned to a jog, which turned into a full-fledged run. Despite his size, he was extremely quick, and reached his house in no time. When he entered, there was Little Chi-Chi, staring at the chart lying on the floor. 

"Uncle," she said. "Where did Mama go? I was just telling her about the tigers. Then she ran."

Gyuu Maou swept up his niece in his arms, and took off toward the temple. It was the only place outside of home that his sister had ever gone, other than the marketplace and a few games. Running into the large building, he placed Little Chi-Chi on the ground beside him and walked slowly to the room that contained the large statue of Tezcatlipoca. He could see the crumpled figure that lay before it. His stomach twinged in pain. 

He choked back a sob, and clenched his fists. He was about to continue walking toward the limp body, when his niece shot past him.

"Mama!" she screamed. Tears rolled unchecked on her tiny face. Little Chi-Chi grabbed her mother's hand and wrung it. "Oh Mama! Mama, wake up, please! Please Mama, you have to wake up." Little Chi-Chi coughed and hiccuped, the tears coursing down her face looking strangely like blood. Her little body went limp, and she threw herself on her mother's body, sobs racking her form. Gyuu Maou knelt beside his sister's limp body, a single tear running down the side of his face. "Little Chi-Chi, please stop."

The little girl shook her head wildly. Her head tossed back, and she screamed.

******

~ Seven years later ~

******

"So you see, if you close your eyes in fear for even a second, it'll only pierce through."

Gyuu Maou hung on her every word, studying his sister's movements like a hawk. Chi-Chi was throwing a short spear at a target on the wall, instructing him on how to dodge any kind of object. Her eyes narrowed in concentration, and she hurled the spear. It landed in the exact center of the target. "If you're going to react at all, it has to be immediate." She tossed the spear at her brother. "Throw."

Gyuu was confident in his sister's abilities, but even so threw the spear a bit slower than usual. In the time it took the projectile to reach Chi-Chi's position, she had moved out of the way and thrust her hand out to grab the spear in mid-air.

There were gasps of awe from the children who had been watching the exhibition. She bowed slightly and patted each of their heads. "Go along," she said, smiling. "You're parents are calling you." The kids all squealed and ran out, pushing one another out of the way. 

Gyuu Maou turned to his sister, a frown covering his face. His frown increased until it turned almost into a grimace. "Why do you do that?" he asked calmly. Chi-Chi's face was completely innocent. "I have no idea what you're talking about." She said calmly, but anger was just barely lacing her voice. Gyuu growled in frustration and punched his fist into the wall. This time, the rage in Chi-Chi's voice was much more evident.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Gyuu roared in anger and hurled the spear directly toward the center of the target in the wall. Chi-Chi's form blurred and she snatched the spear in mid-air. This time, Gyuu Maou answered her a lot more calmly. "That's exactly what I'm talking about. You're going to get yourself killed one of these days, and for some reason I think it will be intentional."

Chi-Chi recovered quickly. "I don't know why you would think that. I'm smart and strong enough to do anything. If you think a spear can kill me, you're sadly mistaken."

The scorn in his voice was obvious. "Oh really, _Priestess," _he said, a sneer on his face. "I think you're overestimating yourself." His face was suddenly shoved into the floor. Chi-Chi stood above him, her fist extended and face red with rage. Her form shuddered and then slumped. She buried her face in her hands. "I'm sorry," she whispered. Gyuu stood up slowly, rubbing his cheek where her fist had connected. "It's all right," he said, his anger draining out of him. "You're right. It would take a lot to kill you, and I'm sure it wouldn't be on purpose." He smiled. "Just take care of yourself, okay? You're the only Priestess we have." 

******

Chi-Chi lay in bed. Her soft sobs were racking her body, and she wanted so much to scream in pain and hurt and loss. She could feel the sobs catching in her throat, the pressure in her heart. It was so hard. It hurt so much. To watch everything you love just wither away. To feel the pain of knowing that everyone was dying, and there was nothing you could do to stop it. So many dead. Mama. Papa, even before she was born. And more, dead to disease, dead to famine, dead to the tigers and giants. And she wasn't strong enough to stop it. She wasn't strong enough, she wasn't wise enough. She wasn't _good_ enough.

Chi-Chi struggled up, her bare feet cold against the floor. Her racking sobs changed to slow tears, and then to cold, dry-eyed sadness. She padded softly to the doorway, and with a brief pause of hesitation, walked through.

Her people didn't like walking at night. Spirits, she guessed. It was just an instinctive dislike of the dark, and had no real basis. Or maybe it was because the tigers always came at night. She didn't know, but she always walked at night, when no one was around to watch or question her actions.

It was easier that way.

Chi-Chi walked up the stairs to the entrance to the temple. Slowly and quietly opening the heavy door, she grabbed a torch on the wall and walked through the dark passageways into the shrine at the back. She spent most of her time in that room, even more so than she spent at home. Chi-Chi lit the large pyre in the middle of the room, sighing in relief when light enveloped the room. She placed the torch on the floor of the room and walked over to the large star-chart that hung on the side adjacent to the large statue of Tezcatlipoca.

She had moved it there shortly after her mother had died. Because, when a Priestess dies, a relative has to take her place. Gyuu Maou didn't have the sight; he couldn't be a Priest. On the other hand, it was obvious that Chi-Chi had the potential, and that it could be tapped. So she had been made Priestess immediately after her mother's death.

Her eyes closed, once again playing over the mystery of her mother's death. Her mother had been completely healthy; there was no reason for her to have died. The only answer was that she must have enraged the gods somehow, and they had ordered her death. But that was as unlikely as any other solution. There was just no reason. She sighed. It didn't matter. It did not bode well with the gods to go snooping around in their business.

Chi-Chi reached up on her tiptoes and un-hung the chart, laying it carefully on the floor. She smoothed out all the wrinkles and studied it carefully, eyes slowly rolling over every single detail. She slid her finger over the tapestry delicately. The fabric was centuries old, and was slowly decaying. She frowned. It was a miracle that it had survived this long. Probably some spell or enchantment had been placed on it to make it this durable.

Her eyes slid over the patch of stars in the direct middle. Her gaze wandered lazily over it, just like her mother's had. Her eyelids drooped, and she slowly lay down beside the chart. Chi-Chi sighed sleepily and let her eyes wander over to the huge statue that towered over her. It was beautiful in a frightening, terrible way. Huge and strong, every muscle carefully sculpted. There was an almost angry look on his face, one that contrasted greatly with his wise and caring eyes. Half asleep, Chi-Chi wondered if Tezcatlipoca really looked like his statue portrayed him. And she wondered if his eyes were the same. She yawned. She had always loved his eyes. "Will you give me the answer, one day?" she whispered. "One day…one day…one…"

She was asleep.

_Will you give me the answer one day?_

The thought echoed in her mind, and suddenly, she knew. 

She didn't know anything. The gods worked on a much larger scale than she could possibly conceive. And she was their pawn. A pawn in their vast game of life.

Chi-Chi was asleep, but even sub-consciously, she bristled. She had always hated that word. Pawn. Deep inside, she hated the fact that she was just a pawn, a little game piece in the huge game the gods played. But she understood that was just the way it was. And either way, she wasn't just a pawn. She was a knight. She was a bishop. She was a Priestess.

And she knew. The gods acted on a much larger scale. But she knew. She would have her answer. One day, she would understand everything.

******

Chi-Chi swept along the rooms of the house, hurriedly gathering up supplies into the woven basket in her arms. It was the first day of the first month of the year, and she was scared. Everybody else was scared, but even so, it was strange for her to be. So why was everybody so terrified? It was tradition.

On the first day of every month, a party of twenty was sent outside the walls of the city to gather herbs, food, and various other supplies to last the rest of the month. And on the first month of the year, the Priestess and Chief of the tribe were among those sent.

Chi-Chi squared her shoulders and calmly walked out of her house, her face an empty façade. Her face was painted carefully in reds and brown, all of her ceremonial gear and jewelry was being worn. She strode up to the chief, and bowed her head graciously. His furrowed brow lightened slightly and he half-smiled at her, nodding in greeting. 

"It's a good day, isn't it, Priestess?"

Chi-Chi nodded at him. "Yes Chief." She raised her eyes to the sky. "The sky's clear, and the sun is shining brightly. It's good, Vegita."

(A/N: Hah! Bet you thought the Chief was gonna be Goku, huh? Well, sorry, but he's not coming yet!)

Vegita looked at her through the side of his eyes. "Have you had any feelings?" He glanced up at the sky. "Something will go wrong."

Chi-Chi sighed loudly, frowning at him. "Yes, something will go wrong. Something always does, but this time, it will not be with us." She blinked her eyes rapidly, trying to adjust to the blazing morning sun. "Someone will die, or be lost. Tigers. The giants aren't here this time of year." Vegita nodded. "Only one will die, though? That's good. Last month it was five. That was all to giants, though. But why tigers? They come at night."

Chi-Chi shrugged. "How am I supposed to know?" she asked impudently. "I just know that somebody will be lost, I don't know how it'll happen, or who it will be."

Vegita growled. "Watch your tongue, or I'll cut it off for you." Chi-Chi laughed uproariously. Vegita ground his teeth together. "If you weren't such good 'friends' with my wife, I would have killed you a long time ago. But _nooo_. Bulma insists on having you as the Priestess. Stupid women have no brains." He mumbled.

They both suddenly straightened, sobering instantly. The crowd of people had begun to arrive. 

Half an hour later, the group of twenty crept out of the hidden doorway out of the city. As soon as they stepped outside, they were all overwhelmed by the outstanding measure of green. There were trees, grass, and herbs of every sort. Flushes of pink and red appeared every now and then where flowers were growing. It was rough terrain, and extremely hard going.

Every member of the foraging party was carrying a spear and a dagger, to protect themselves from the most basic dangers, like the smaller wild animals. A spear and dagger would have no effect on tigers and giants.

The main group split up into four smaller ones and head off into different directions, silently creeping through the forest. Chi-Chi beckoned her group to her and slipped into the lush green bushes. She had made this trip many times before, and made her way through the woods with practiced ease. Frowning slightly, she allowed herself to drift off into memories and daydreams. The frown covering her pretty face grew until it was a scowl, and a light, spiky aura swirled softly around her body. The group behind her sweatdropped and drew back a couple of steps. That in itself was a mistake.

Gyuu was in her group.

A streak of black shot out of the trees and jumped at the group, carefully avoiding the dangerous aura around Chi-Chi. Its target was the largest prey. It had been a bad winter, and it was hungry. 

It vaulted out and leapt on top of him, bowling him into the ground. The large tiger brought its jaws down, below the startled face, and into the pulsing neck. It tore out Gyuu's throat before anyone could react.

The tiger backed away slightly, licking the blood that was trickling down its mouth. It growled softly in pleasure and leaned its head down, munching on Gyuu's neck.

In that moment, the world grew dim. Chi-Chi stood staring, her eyes strangely disconnected. Everything was in tones of gray, and stars were dancing across her vision. Chi-Chi's fists clenched involuntarily. The stars were turning blood red. She couldn't hear anything. All of a sudden, her entire range of vision turned bright red.

The red was from the blood of the tiger that squirted into her eyes when she buried her fist into its heart.

******

Vegita smiled to himself. It had been a good day. They had gathered more plants and herbs than ever before. He waved his group over to him, and nodded his head toward the city, indicating that they would be heading back. They were just starting to walk to the city when he heard a group crashing through the forest toward him. He raised his spear in warning, and hoisted it up to toss it. A man ran through the foliage into the clearing. He spotted the group and walked toward them.

Vegita frowned, struggling to remember the man's name. 'Oh, yeah,' he thought. 'Yamucha.'

Yamucha ran toward him, a form cradled in his arms. Vegita squinted, trying to recognize the person in his arms. His eyes widened.

Vegita ground his teeth together. "Shit," he cursed softly. "What happened to her?" He ran forward and took Chi-Chi into his arms. She was moaning quietly, and he could hear faint sobs coming from her. His gaze shot over to Yamucha. "What the hell happened to her?" he asked, voice deadly quiet.

Yamucha clenched his fists. "We were hunting," he said. "The tiger just shot out of nowhere. It took Gyuu." Yamucha averted his eyes. Gyuu had been his best friend. "The Priestess went blood mad. She tore her fist into its heart." He paused, a faint smile covering his face. "She ate it."

Vegita stared down at the woman in his arms, his face immobile. "The tiger or the heart?"

Yamucha grinned. "Both."

Vegita nodded. "It is good." He began walking toward the city. "Find all of the groups and bring them back. Bring the body to the city. He will have a warrior's burial." 

Yamucha nodded. "It is done, Chief." He ran back into the woods. At the edge of the forest, he stopped, turning around slightly. 

'Chi-Chi.'

******

Chi-Chi groaned, twisting in her bed. She slowly opened her eyes. Her vision focused on a face hovering worriedly in front of her. The first thing she noticed was a mane of soft aqua hair. The hair had been a mystery to her people for years, but the unique coloring had only added to Bulma's exoticness and appeal. 

"Chi-Chi honey? Are you okay? Chi-Chi, wake up."

Chi-Chi moaned at the pain in her neck. Yamucha had squeezed it to knock her unconscious. 

"Bulma," she whispered. "I had the most horrible dream."

The sad look on Bulma's face was all she needed to confirm her fears. Chi-Chi shook her head, a million thoughts racing through her mind. 'No,' she thought. 'No. Nonononononono.' A single tear slid down her cheek, splashing on the rough bed covering. 'No. Oh gods, please, no. It's not right. It's not fair.' More tears rolled down her face. 'He was all I had. Can't you see? He was all I had.'

Chi-Chi shook her head twice, her hands clutching the covers. Her nails pierced through the fabric and buried into her hands. Blood from her palms slowly seeped out into the cloth, staining them a bright red.

Chi-Chi bowed her head. "No," she whispered. A shudder ran through her frame before she tossed her head back and screamed.

A/N: Finally! I just read this over again, and I'm fairly happy with it, but I think I could have made it more interesting. Maybe one day, if I ever finish the story, I'll revise it. I promise the next chapter will be longer and more interesting. Oh well, tell me what you think. I need reviews more…than I need air *gasps*. Well, peace!


	3. Scroll 2

A/N: Hiya everyone! So so so sorry for not updating sooner. You know, with school, and procrastination, it's kinda hard to keep a fic up and running, but I have not given up on any of my ideas! Okay, part two. Thank you so much for reviewing. I love you all! Okay, Fan of COOLNESS made it clear to me that the last chapter was a bit confusing. There were two Chi-Chi's, and I know that was strange. The first one was the mother. She was the original priestess. Then she died, and her daughter, who was also called Chi-Chi, became the second priestess. I hope that clears it all up. I love you, Fan of COOLNESS! Well, on to the story.

Disclaimer: No matter how much I weep and cry, I will never own DBZ. BTW, I also don't own the ending song of Slayers Next! Though I have a calligraphy etching of the lyrics…

Scroll Two::Record One

Got that fin de siecle feeling/ And spend every day preparing/ So let's get you engine running/ And throw off all that rusty common sense!

"It's okay, love. Don't worry, in the end it will all turn out okay." Bulma brushed the tears away from her best friends' face. "Just remember. He's with the gods, now. Tezcatlipoca and all his kin will reward him for being such a loyal servant. Gyuu will be happy. He died a warrior's death, and that's more than anyone can hope for."

Chi-Chi sobbed into the rough pillow, shoulders shaking. She roared in pain and anger and pounded her tiny fists into the mattress. Bulma winced as the entire bed shuddered. Chi-Chi shook her head. "I don't get it," she sobbed. "I don't understand. I'm the Priestess. I should have seen it coming. I should have forbidden him from going." Chi-Chi bit her lip.

"I don't get it. It should have been me. I was always ready to go. He was all I had left." A trickle of blood ran down her lip. She lowered her head. "He was all I had left."

Something in what Bulma saw in Chi-Chi's eyes made her blanch. She grabbed her hands and clasped them in hers. "Don't say that," Bulma said worriedly. "You have so much! You're a Priestess. Vegita and I love you like a sister, no matter what he says. You're so pretty, and so strong." There was no reaction on Chi-Chi's face. Bulma narrowed her eyes, a dangerous light shining in them. "Listen, Maou, I am the wife of the Chief, and you are the Priestess. We have a duty to our people. You are not _allowed to die_."

Chi-Chi's eyes narrowed back at her. "He was my brother," she said savagely. Her shoulders suddenly sagged, and then straightened. "Our people…they're mine. Mine to protect." She smiled sadly. "I can't really protect them if I'm dead, can I?"

Bulma threw her head back and laughed. "Well, of course not, honey! And our people are, after all, your top priority." She softened slightly and lay a hand on Chi-Chi's back. "I know it hurts. Remember, you're not the only one that has lost somebody. But life is too wonderful for you to mourn forever. There's too much happiness in life. There are too many things to do, too many wars, too many projects, too many people to look after. And it's your job to look after them." Bulma stood up and turned to leave. "I'll talk to Vegita. He'll be a Priest for a few days, albeit a grumbling one." She smiled. "Heal."

With that, Bulma swept out of the room. Chi-Chi nodded to herself, brushing the hair from her face. "That's right. Heal."

* * * * * *

The days passed in a blur for Chi-Chi. She blocked away any pain from Gyuu's death, blocked out any anger, any hurt, and had just allowed her mind and body to recuperate. And in a few months, she woke up, and the first thing she thought about was not Gyuu. On that day, Chi-Chi realized that it was time to go back.

Chi-Chi exited her room for the first time in weeks. As she blinked against the sunlight, she heard Bulma and Vegita arguing over something in the dining quarters of the vast house. Chi-Chi made her way over to the screaming voices, wincing against the pounding her head was receiving from the yells. Bulma and Vegita spotted her at the same time. Simultaneously forgetting about the subject of their argument, they rushed to Chi-Chi and embraced her. At least Bulma rushed over and embraced her; Vegita walked over and nodded in greeting.

"Oh Chi-Chi, I can't believe it, you're finally better. I am so happy, are you ready to go back to being a Priestess, Vegita has been whining ever since I made him be a fill-in Priest, it has really been bugging me. Oh, I'm so happy you're better!"

Chi-Chi winced and sweatdropped, tuning out Bulma's babbles. "Yes, honey, I'm fine."

Vegita nodded again at her, shooting his wife an evil glare. He mumbled something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like "I don't whine," and then turned his full attention to Chi-Chi. "It is good to see you better, Priestess," he said. "I hope that you will return to your duties soon."

Chi-Chi nodded and bowed her head. "Of course, my Chief. I have fully healed, and am ready to return." She raised her head. "I think I have discovered something important, and I am anxious to test it."

Bulma shot Vegita an evil, sideways glance, then laughed and nodded. "Of course, Priestess. You may return now."

Chi-Chi smiled and turned, walking out of the large house. She sighed and breathed in the fresh air, letting the soft, warm breeze sweep her hair around her face. She saw a few tiny children stop and point at her, then wave happily. A few of the older children and adults stopped and bowed in her direction, then resumed their activities. She walked along the road, idly playing with her golden earrings. The large temple suddenly loomed above her, and she walked up the many steps and pushed open the large doors. A sole individual kneeled inside, head bowed and praying before the large statue of Tezcatlipoca. As the doors banged against the walls, the figure started and shot around. Chi-Chi grinned openly, and walked forward to greet him.

"Yamucha!"

Yamucha's mouth dropped slightly, then he grinned and ran forward. He halfway reached to hug her, then stopped himself and bowed. Chi-Chi frowned and hugged him herself. She laughed self-mockingly and squeezed him tighter.

"There is no way you are going to bow to your best friends niece like she's so much better than you," she laughed. Yamucha smiled and brought his hands around her, chastely hugging her. "It's good to see that you are well again." He laughed. "I mean, I was getting worried, after you completely went crazy and ate the damn tiger!"

Chi-Chi's eyes narrowed dangerously and she stared at him. "What do you mean I went crazy? As if I wasn't justified?!" 

Yamucha laughed weakly and sweatdropped. "That's not what I meant!"

Chi-Chi shot him a sideways glance, then shrugged. "Oh well. I'm fine now. By the way, what were you praying for?"

Yamucha started, looking at her, a worried glance shooting across his eyes before it disappeared. A blush flashed across his cheeks and vanished quickly. He looked as if he was contemplating something important, then just as suddenly dismissed it. "Well," he started. "I was praying for a lot of things. Praying that Gyuu was happy with the Gods. Praying for that strange brother of mine. And of course, praying that our Priestess would heal and return to her duties."

Chi-Chi chose to ignore the first and last comment, for various reasons, and focused on the middle one. "Tell me why I've never met you're brother in person." 

Yamucha frowned. "Well, of course you've heard of him, haven't you?"

Chi-Chi nodded. "Of course. He's a bit off, isn't he? A great fighter, but would never hurt anything or anyone. And his intelligence and memory are not at an adult level, though he's my age." At this Yamucha nodded, and then hesitated, as if he were deciding whether or not to tell her an important secret. He shook his head, and then began speaking.

"Of course. He refused to kill or sacrifice anything unless it was clearly endangering his life. But I don't understand why that would be so strange." Yamucha pounded his fist into his open palm. "My brother is an excellent warrior. He's sparred against me, and even though he's four years younger, he beat me every single time. And what does a warrior need with a full set of brains? He may be a bit softhearted, but I don't understand why that would be so strange. So he will never be a cold-blooded killer. Isn't that what our tribe is struggling to not become?"

Chi-Chi leaned forward. "Yes, a bit of soft-heartedness in itself is not wrong, but from what I've heard, you're brother completely refused to sacrifice any type of animal to the Gods. Until your brother becomes a bit tougher, most of our tribe _will_ shun him. What happens if we go to war? Will your brother balk from killing an enemy?"

At this, Yamucha leaned forward and grasped her hands. He bowed his head. "Chi-Chi, I can prove to you that while my brother may not agree with all types of sacrifices, he will defend himself and others from anyone that tries to hurt them. Which is why I want to ask you to review his case. I can sacrifice enough for the both of us. What matters is that he's a warrior."

Chi-Chi frowned. "Is that the only reason you wanted to speak to me?" Yamucha bit his lip, struggling to fight against the blush that had crept across his cheeks. He nodded. Chi-Chi suddenly brightened. "Of course I'll review his case." Her eyes flashed. "If he can beat me in a fight, then I will petition the Chief to make him an official warrior. How about that?" 

Yamucha gasped. "My brother can't fight you!" he half-yelled. Chi-Chi's eyes narrowed. "Listen, I would like nothing more than to just determine myself that he could be a warrior. However, the only way our people will ever respect him is for him to defeat another in a battle. Someone of high station. And the only one in this tribe that has ever defeated me in battle is the Chief himself. So this is the only way."

Yamucha squeezed his eyes shut and nodded. "Of course. You are the wisest."

Chi-Chi smiled softly, this time a genuine grin. "I will battle the day after tomorrow. Tell your brother to get ready." She grabbed Yamucha's hand and squeezed it. "For now, I'm a Priestess, and I must pray." 

Yamucha nodded and bowed, backing out of the temple. Right before he exited, he met her eyes and grinned. "Thank you Chi-Chi."

* * * * * *

Maybe you have started to unravel a bit of this story, and maybe not. But let me tell you, Chi-Chi is about to unravel a bit of her own story, and when she does, it will be the catalyst for the events that are about to come.

* * * * * *

Chi-Chi bowed before the massive statue of Tezcatlipoca and closed her eyes. She whispered a short thanksgiving and snapped her eyes open. She gathered various herbs together and dropped them in a basin, adding water and stirring them until it was a soft blue in color. She muttered a soft incantation and bowed her head over it, staring intently into the basin.

Chi-Chi had only done this twice before. Once had been to shortly after her mother had died, to retrieve some of her knowledge. The other had been a secret; it was forbidden to use the urn for anything other than whatever would enhance the knowledge and wisdom of the Priestess. 

In other words, she had used the basin in order to see her family.

The intricate mixture of herbs could alter its shape to form some semblance of a person. It was Ancient magic, and Ancient magic could only be used by one of the Ancient ones, one of the First People. 

The First People were otherwise known as Priests and Priestesses. Every Priest and Priestess was descended from one of three lineage's. Chi-Chi was the descendent of the most important and prominent of those lineage's. The other two lineage's had been dormant for centuries, and were pretty much forgotten and ignored.

So a select few of the Maou family had the ability to be a Priest or Priestess.

Chi-Chi gazed into the golden basin and let her eyes drift over the entirety of its contents. Slowly, forms and shapes started to materialize.

The basin showed the memories of a previous Priest or Priestess.

Chi-Chi felt herself drift off, her mind suddenly filling with the memories of her mother.

"_Hi. My name's Chi-Chi."_

"I'm Gyuu Maou."

"Gyuu? I'm gonna have a baby."

"I love you too."

"What do you mean you're gonna go to war?!"

"Oh no. Momma? Daddy? Gyuu? Gyuu!"

"They're all gone. They're all dead. But I named my little brother after my husband. And he wanted my baby to be named after me."

"You're daughter Chi-Chi will be a Priestess one day. When you're gone."

"_Life's a prison when you're in love alone. You won't be in your bonds much longer."_

"Don't worry. I feel the answer, whatever it is, will arrive soon. The gods will grant you your answer."

"Hi Mama. I'm gonna go and play."

"You went too far, Priestess. You walked where you should not have. "Only one is allowed to see the events that will take place, and it was not you. There is only one way to escape what will happen and that is to die peacefully. Can you see who the god's picked?"

"My daughter. My little Chi-Chi."

Chi-Chi jerked out of the reverie. She struggled to stay impartial. She tried not to just bury her head in her hands and scream. Screaming and crying were weak, and a Priestess was not allowed to be weak. She took a deep breath and let her mind wander to what she had seen in the jar. The only memories that she had witnesses were small ones, small memories that her mother had treasured, but that had no extreme significance.

Except for the final memory that she had seen. That memory was strange. She couldn't figure out what was being talked about, but she knew that she had something to do with it. Chi-Chi closed her eyes.

You went too far, Priestess. You walked where you should not have. "Only one is allowed to see the events that will take place, and it was not you. There is only one way to escape what will happen and that is to die peacefully. Can you see who the god's picked?"

"My daughter. My little Chi-Chi."

Chi-Chi's eyes opened again, and she reviewed. That memory seemed so much different than the rest, so much more important. 

There was a proverb that was repeated over and over again to children. _Don't walk where you should not. You will most likely find something extremely unpleasant there._ It was used mostly to keep children out of the private affairs of their parents, but it had been said to her mother. _"Only one is allowed to see the events that will take place, and it was not you. _Her mother had glimpsed something that she should not have, and it had cost her her life. Chi-Chi bit back a sob. "_Can you see who the god's picked?" _

"Me," Chi-Chi whispered. "The god's picked me for something." Her eyebrows furrowed. "There is a prophecy. I'm supposed to see the events that will take place." She growled and pounded the floor with her fist. She grimaced contemptuously. "Will someone please tell me what I am supposed to prophecy? Because I honestly have no idea."

There was a small gust of wind, and the chart hung on the wall fell off of its hooks and slowly drifted to the ground. Chi-Chi sighed and walked to the star chart. She sat down, thoroughly bored. In exasperation, she crossed her eyes and stared at the chart. All of a sudden, a soft gasp escaped her lips.

With her eyes crossed, it was easier to see the telltale pattern of stars in the exact middle of the chart. Five small orbs of stars that formed one larger circle.

Her mind was in complete turmoil. One of the jobs of a Priestess was to read the stars and foretell of the events that are to come. Chi-Chi knew that when certain stars were aligned, it meant that something important was about to happen. The orbs of stars were all part of clusters, and each had a name. The first cluster was called _ocelotl1,_ meaning tiger. The second cluster was _ecatl_, meaning wind. The third was _quiyahuitl, _which meant rain, and the fourth was _atl_, which meant water. The fifth was different in and of itself. It was the last cluster, and it shone more brightly than any other one. It was called _ollin_, meaning movement. However, there was a different translation that could be used. The word _ollin_, when used in the Ancient Language, meant '_until the end of forever.' A_ strange word, a strange star cluster, a strange tapestry. But it all made sense. 

There was an ancient prophecy, passed down to the Royal Family, and their Priests'. A prophecy that told of a boy and girl who would unknowingly bring about the destruction of four worlds, and only when the fifth world came to pass would they be able to save it. Chi-Chi honestly had no idea who the boy and girl were, but there was a reason that she was called one of the First People. The First People belonged to the first world. 

She suddenly gasped, the gravity of the situation suddenly dawning on her. This world was going to end. Her beautiful world, so full of animals and vegetation, was going to die. Chi-Chi grit her teeth. But when? When was the world going to end?

Chi-Chi buried her head in her hands and took a deep breath. Suddenly, a soft breeze stirred around her, rustling her loose hair. She looked up in surprise, and her eyes met with those of the statue of Tezcatlipoca. His eyes, always so wise and caring, now had a different look in them. There was a look of urgency, of desperation almost. She could have sworn she saw his face nod slightly at the tapestry. Shaking with something almost like reverence, she turned back at the tapestry, her years of studying the stars coming back to her. She straightened out the ruffles in the tapestry and furrowed her brow. Chi-Chi stared intently at the chart, struggling desperately to remember all of the lessons that had been taught to her about translating the stars. Hours later, she shot up, soaked with sweat. 

She finally understood every mystery that those five clusters of stars held. 

Her world only had six years left. Six years, and the world would be reborn, and a new one would take its place.

Chi-Chi scrambled to her feet and ran toward the large temple doors. She had to tell Bulma and Vegita! She had to warn them, to try and stop it. She slammed into the doors and braced herself against them, pushing as hard as she could. The doors of the temple shot open and she ran down the hundreds of steps. Halfway down, she tripped and began falling. Her quick mind thought of thousands of curses, thought of the pain that she would feel when her face collided with the stone. She fell…

…only to be caught by a pair of warm, strong arms.

Chi-Chi righted herself and stared up at the face of the man who had caught her. For a second, her mind was convinced that it was Yamucha. The facial structure was exactly the same. But no, this man's eyes were warmer, his face not as tense, and there was almost a glow that emanated from him.

Chi-Chi bit back a gasp as she stared at him. For a second, all thoughts of the end of the world completely vanished. _Gods, _she thought. _He's beautiful_. And then her mind righted itself, and she pushed herself away from him. 

"Thank you," she said, bowing. "But I have to go." She started back down the stairs, but the man caught her by the arm.

"Priestess," he said hesitantly. "My name is Son Goku2. My brother sent me here to…"

Chi-Chi frowned. _This _was Yamucha's brother, Goku? He looked strong, but the kind light in his eyes was strange for a warrior. She cut in.

"Goku, I told your brother Yamucha that I would fight you the day after tomorrow. That fight will determine whether or not you become a full warrior. However, right now I have extremely important business to take care of. I have to see the Chief,"

Goku interrupted. "Priestess, that's exactly what I needed to tell you! Somebody opened the door to the outside of the city. The Chief says that the tigers could have gotten in, and his wife is missing!"

Chi-Chi's eyes widened and she tuned out the rest of what Goku was saying. Bulma… Bulma was missing? No no, Bulma was probably just wandering the city, she had probably gotten interested in some of the little trinkets that the people sold. Bulma was invincible, she wasn't missing! The tigers couldn't have gotten in, they only wandered around at night! Everybody knew that the tigers were nocturnal. 

Chi-Chi grabbed Goku's arm and started running down the stairs. She didn't care if she tripped and fell, the only important thing was making sure that Bulma was okay. 

"Goku!" she half-screamed. "Tell me everything that you know about what happened to Bulma."

Goku's wide eyes shot upward in concentration. He was having a relatively easy time keeping up with the Priestess' fast pace, but running and thinking was a bit hard. "The Chief called my brother and organized a search for his wife. Yamucha told me to look for you, so that you could help. Chief Vegita was really mad, he was swearing a lot. He said that Bulma had wandered off an hour ago, and a few minutes after, he had a terrible pain in his stomach and head. He got afraid, so he started looking for Bulma, and then he saw that the doors to the city were wide open, and that one of the tigers was really close to the door. Vegita killed the tiger and closed the door, but we was real worried that some more tigers had gotten in."

Chi-Chi stopped suddenly and held her hands up to her pounding head. It was said that when a Chief and his wife really loved each other, they became connected mentally and spiritually. When either the Chief or his wife died, the other experienced sharp pains all over their body, and they gradually weakened until he or she died. Despite their many arguments, it was easy to see that Bulma and Vegita loved each other with all their hearts. She took a deep breath, still refusing to believe that Bulma could be de------- no! She wasn't going to say that word. Bulma would never die!

Chi-Chi and Goku continued running in silence, each lost in their own turbulent thoughts. All of a sudden, they saw a large crowd. Up until now, the streets had been empty. Now, it seemed as if every warrior in the city was in a circle. 

Chi-Chi broke out in a cold sweat. She stopped running, and slowly walked to the crowd. Her mouth was slightly opened, her pupils were dilated, and here eyes unnaturally wide. She walked through the crowd, not noticing when they all separated for her. In the middle of the group, there were two small figures. One had dark, unruly hair. The other was pale and delicate, and her aqua hair stood out against her white skin. Chi-Chi stood there, her mind refusing to acknowledge what her eyes were seeing. And then, all the pain and horror that she had bottled up for months let itself loose. She let out a single cry of rage, and then her body crumpled and she collapsed onto the floor.

* * * * * *

In the middle of the ring of people, Vegita sat cradling the bleeding body of his wife. Her hair was matted with blood. The red contrasted cruelly with her paleness.

Vegita had arrived just when the tiger had been leaping at Bulma. He had heard her screams of pain and horror and anger. Vegita could barely remember leaping at the animal. He could hardly remember ripping its limbs out one my one, and eating its heart. Those memories hovered at the back of his head, but they weren't important.

A single tear fell from his eyes, making its slow course down his cheekbone, until it fell from his chin and splattered against Bulma's face. He almost smiled. It was strange; Bulma's last screams had not been of fear. They had been of rage. It was fitting that the wife of the Chief had not been afraid of her death.

More tears coursed down his face, faster and faster. He buried his face in her hair. Oh god, he had loved her. He had given everything for her. His beautiful, kind wife. She had tried so hard to make him happy. He had never told Bulma that he loved her. She knew of course, but he had never told her. A billion regrets in the space of a few seconds.

He was crying. Vegita had never cried in his entire lifetime. Not when his entire family had been killed by giants and tigers. Not when his guardian had given his life to save Vegita's own. He had never shed a single tear. But now, as his wife lay, her body cruelly torn by the tiger's teeth and claws, he poured out every pain that he had ever felt.

Tears fell unabated from his eyes, landing on Bulma's pale face, streaked with her blood. Oh god, he had loved her. Every movement that she made had completely entranced him. He would never see her again. He would never feel her hand caressing his cheek, never see her cheeks flush with anger, never hear her screams as she argued with him. She was gone gone gone, and there was nothing he would ever be able to do to bring her back.

* * * * * *

Goku stood, stunned by the sight before him. He was cradling Chi-Chi in his arms. She had passed a few minutes ago, and he had caught her as she fell.

He couldn't believe it. His best friend was dead.

Goku had known Bulma ever since they were little kids. He had been her playmate, despite the differences in their social stature. In fact, it had been Bulma who had unwittingly revealed Goku's hatred of sacrifices.

He had never held a grudge against her for that. As far as Goku was concerned, sacrificing was wrong and he would always say so, no matter if people didn't like him because of it.

He had always been her big brother, though she was older. Goku had been there during her lessons about the gods and the world around them. He had been there when they saw their first animal sacrifice, and had comforted her when she burst into tears, even though his own lip was trembling. Goku had been there when, at the age of twelve, she had first met Vegita. She had hidden behind him when Vegita had first sneered at her, and he had given her the time she needed to gather her courage and shout back at him.

Goku had born the brunt of several of Vegita's verbal assaults, because the young soon-to-be chief had been jealous of Bulma's and Goku's relationship. It had been several months before Vegita had realized that Goku and Bulma were just brother and sister. After that, the two had almost teamed up to protect that which was most important to them: Bulma.

Goku had loved Bulma as a sister. He had protected her for most of his life, before he began to be shunned because of his lack of killing spirit.

And now, his little sister was dead, her torn body lying in the street, being held by the man that loved her most.

And neither of them had done anything to protect her.

He choked back the tears, which were threatening to cascade down his face, and instead focused on the girl lying in his arms.

Goku had seen Chi-Chi a few times before, when she had first visited Bulma. She had just been made Priestess, and the Chief's wife and her Priestess were quickly becoming close friends. Goku had immediately felt a strong feeling burrowing its way through his body. The moment that he had seen her, he had wanted nothing more than to just say hi. He was only around twelve, so he couldn't place the feelings that were coursing through him, but he had known only one thing: that he would protect her even closer than Bulma.

And now the Priestess, a fully grown woman, was lying in his arms, unconscious.

The sight of her still face was more than he could bear. He lowered his head and sobbed, not bothering to hide the tears that were now freely flowing. Bulma. She was his best friend. She was his family. He had loved her just as much as he did Yamucha, and now she was dead. She was deaddeaddeaddeaddeaddead. He hadn't been strong enough to stop it, he hadn't been fast enough. If only he had been faster, if only he had reached Chi-Chi faster, if only he had gotten back faster, he could have saved her.

There was a soft sob, and Goku raised his head. Vegita. The strong chief had never shed a single tear in his entire life, and now he was sobbing brokenly, pouring out all of his pain. Vegita stumbled to his feet, cradling the body of his wife. He walked toward his large house, and the crowd parted for him. Everyone was quietly crying for the queen that had been kinder than anyone in the city. And they were all crying for the Chief. They all knew that they would never be able to understand his pain.

Goku stepped to the side, allowing his longtime friend and her husband to pass. As Vegita passed him, he glanced over, and a spark of recognition lit in his eyes. He stopped and stared at him.

"Well, brother," he said, his voice flat. "I guess we weren't enough to save her." He stopped and looked down at the Priestess, and something almost akin to a smile flit across his face. He looked back up at Goku and nodded.

With that, he continued to walk toward his home.

Goku thought about stopping him. It was obvious what the Chief was about to do. Vegita had loved Bulma with all his heart, and the prospect of living without her was too much even for him to bear. Naive though he was, he knew that Vegita was going to end his life. He started to go after him, but then stopped. It would be cruel to force the Chief to live when he had nothing to live for. It would be cruel to continue his suffering. 

Goku let Vegita go.

A/N: So! I hoped that you liked it. I read it over and I personally think that it's pretty confusing. Let's see if we can clear this up. Chi-Chi knows that something is different about her, and that she's part of a prophecy. The First People are otherwise known as Priests and Priestesses. Chi-Chi looked into a magical basin that gave her a glimpse into some of her mother's memories, and she discovered that her mother had been killed because she went into the gods' secrets. She figured out that the world was gonna end, and tried to warn Bulma and Vegita, but Bulma had been killed by tigers, and Vegita is about to commit suicide. Yes, I'm sooooo sorry for offing Bulma _and_ Vegita, but its necessary. I said there was going to be some level of angst! I promise, though, that in parts two, three, and four, Bulma and Vegita will live happily ever after! So I introduced Goku. Yaah! Well, R/R

The words _ocelotl, atl, quiyahuitl, ecatl, _and_ ollin _all come from the Nahua legend of the four worlds. You have no idea how much research I did to understand it all, there are hundreds of variations of this legend. Those words are all the names of the five worlds. Yes, I chose to call Goku "Son Goku," the Japanese version of his name. I just can't stand calling him Goku Son. Son Goku sounds a whole lot better. 


	4. Scroll 3

A/N: Hi minna-san! Sorry this chapter took so long to get out, but I think it was the toughest one to write. Before I started writing this story, I had planned out the basic structure I wanted it to take, but there are still so many details that I have no idea what to do with. Add that to the fact that I'm supposed to be grounded L . Thank you so much for the reviews, they're the only thing that keep me going! Luv ya, and on to the story!

Disclaimer: I'm positive that in some alternate universe, I own DBZ. I'm also positive that in some alternate universe, Captain Ginyu is the supreme ruler of the universe. 

**__**

Scroll Three::Record One

You want to be the talk of the world/ You want to have a shining future/ This and that are your true dreams/ Don't let anything get in your way

The news of Vegita's death didn't come as a surprise to Chi-Chi.

Somehow, that didn't make it any easier to deal with.

In a strange way, Chi-Chi knew that Vegita had done the right thing. The bond between Vegita and Bulma had been so strong that when Bulma died, Vegita would have wasted away to nothing. He would have been a shadow of a man for months before he too would have died. Chi-Chi knew that Vegita had too much pride to allow his people to see him as a broken man. 

In the back of her head, when Chi-Chi saw Bulma lying in the streets in a pool of blood, she knew that she was in fact witnessing the deaths of her two best friends, and not just one. However, the pain had just been too much. Chi-Chi had passed out.

Her next conscious thought was lying in a soft, warm bed, and two hazy figures hovering worriedly over her. As she blinked the sleep out of her eyes, she recognized the figures. Yamucha and Goku were sitting by the bedside, each with an expression of sad and scared desperation on their face. As they realized that Chi-Chi was stirring, they both started. Yamucha took her hand in his, a huge smile on his face. 

Goku started to reach out to stroke her cheek, but hesitated and dropped his hand, looking awkwardly at his brother. Yamucha helped her sit up, still holding her hand. Chi-Chi looked down at their intertwined hands, but didn't say anything. Instead, she calmly stared at the two of them.

"What happened when I was asleep," she asked, voice strangely low and flat.

The two brothers glanced at each other warily. They had both expected Chi-Chi to start crying, screaming, anything but look as detached as she was right now. In reality, what Chi-Chi wanted more than anything was for the pair to just leave her alone so that she could scream and rage and sob. However, if Chi-Chi's friendship with Vegita had taught her anything, it was that in times of pain and terror, it was best to forget your emotions and feelings, to become cold and calculating. Later, when a situation was more stable, and when you were all alone, then you could pour your tears onto your pillow. 

Goku spoke up first. "Vegita took Bulma's body and prepared a small ceremony, burning her for the gods. Later the same day, he killed himself. When his body was found during the night, there was a huge panic. Nobody knew what to do since there wasn't a Chief anymore." He lowered his head, not wanting to speak anymore. He could see the pain carefully masked in Chi-Chi's eyes. He could hear her silent screams, and it was too much for him to take. Yamucha picked up the narrative.

"Everybody wanted you to take the place of Chief, but that idea was quickly thrown down, since without you, there wouldn't be a Priestess. That's when everything went horribly wrong." He paused for a few seconds, collecting his thoughts, and then continued. "You know the legend, a Priest or Priestess must belong to one of three lineage's. The most dominant one is the Maou lineage, and the other two ancestries have been dormant for centuries. The other lineage's are Daimaou and Gero, but nobody has heard of a descendant from those ancestries since the beginning of time, and were thought to have died out.

"You have to understand, Chi-Chi, you were unconscious for over a week, and nothing that Goku or I did could wake you." Chi-Chi gasped at the amount of time that she had been out, but Yamucha didn't hesitate in the account. 

"The day after Vegita's body had been found, the city was in chaos. So many innocents had been killed, and there was nothing to be done. Almost everyone had taken refuge in their houses, but everything was in disarray. And then, the city door's opened."

Chi-Chi couldn't take it anymore. She shot out of bed and tried to run toward the exit, only to slam into Goku. He grabbed her shoulders and held her in place. 

"Please!" Chi-Chi shrieked, all semblance of calm and control forgotten. "I have to get out! If the doors opened days ago, the city's probably destroyed! How many were killed?!" Goku tipped her chin up to look at him, and the look on his face froze Chi-Chi in her tracks. He was angry, angrier than she'd ever seen him in the short time since they'd first met. Of course, anger was the primary emotion in Chi-Chi's life. She could deal with that. What Chi-Chi couldn't stand was the deep sadness, the confusion, the longing for everything to be okay. He gently pushed her back onto the bed and sat down, waiting for Yamucha to continue.

Only pausing momentarily, Yamucha resumed the narrative.

"When the city doors opened, everybody went outside to check what had happened. The sight of the doors opening by themselves looked like magic; they all thought it was some kind of sign from the gods." Yamucha spat angrily. "Fools."

"An old man, dressed like a Priest, walked in, surrounded by what looked like his sons and daughters. They were different from us; they're eyes were the color of the sky, not black or brown like they should have been. And their hair…" Yamucha paused, contemplating his next words. "One's was red, like a flame. Another's was yellow. But that was okay; Bulma had strange colored hair. But the old man claimed to be called Gero. He claimed to be a _Priest_, Chi-Chi. He said that he was one of the First People, that he was a descendant from the lineage called Gero. He said that he had come to deliver us, that he had heard of the death of the Chief, and that he would become Priest in your place.

"Of course, almost everybody refused to accept it. At first, a few were in favor of the idea, because with Gero as Priest, you could become the Chieftain. However, Gero threw down the idea, and said that one of his sons would take the position of Chief. At that, the entire village went mad. They only wanted you as Priestess. So Gero tried _convincing _us. That's when the sacrifices began."

Yamucha stopped, pounding his fist onto the mattress. Goku continued the story. "Gero said that if we didn't accept him as leader, that he wouldn't hesitate to slaughter the entire city. Nobody believed him, and a few of the warriors went to kill him. It didn't really work out like that. One of Gero's sons –I think they called him Juunana- went out to meet the warriors. He was small and slim, with long black hair. Everyone underestimated him, but in one move, the three warriors fell down dead."

Goku bent his head as if asking for forgiveness. "I tried to stop them, Priestess, I really did." He smiled to himself. "I did good, too. I managed to knock him down a few times, but the coward ran behind me and pinched a nerve in my neck, and I fell down unconscious. I woke up here." Goku growled angrily. "I don't know why he didn't just kill me. He killed so many others."

Yamucha continued for his brother. "Gero and his children murdered everybody that opposed him. About one-third of the city is dead. Gero and his children are in control. Chi-Chi, I don't know what's gonna happen to you. Gero is Priest now, and nobody's sure if he'll kill you. The reason that Goku and I refused to let you leave this house was because there are guards stationed right outside. They'd probably kill you if you set a foot outdoors."

Chi-Chi absorbed the news excruciatingly slowly. It couldn't be. It just couldn't be. There was no possible way that in the space of one week, Gero could have systematically conquered the city. And who opened the doors in the first place? This old man couldn't be Gero, that family had died out centuries ago! There wasn't any possible way, this had to be some cruel, sick joke.

Chi-Chi hesitantly got to her feet, swayed slightly, and then walked to the windows and peered outside. Oh gods, there were guards stationed outside of this house! Inside of her city! _Her_ city!

She started to march outside to order the guards to leave or face certain death, when Goku caught her around the waist and laid her back on the bed. He clasped her hands in his and looked at her, gaze pleading.

"Chi-Chi, please," he whispered, voice barely audible. "You have to understand. Gero is, at this moment, deciding what to do with you. If you take a step outside, they'll _kill_ you. And Chi-Chi, with the people that they've killed so far, they haven't burned them to the gods. Gero's just hacked them up in little pieces and dumped the in the city square as a reminder to the rest of us. Chi-Chi, those people that were killed have no way of reaching heaven if they're bodies aren't burned. I tried to fight, but I wasn't able to beat all of them. Please, Chi-Chi. Understand. _They'll kill you if you set a foot outside."_

*****

The hours were passing by slower than she had ever experienced them.

Strange, how time went so unbearably slowly when a person had no idea what their fate would be.

As her mother once had said, "There's something worse than being in danger, and that's being in possible danger. Not being sure, risking the wrong word to the wrong person. Feeling suspicion, doubt, fear, and risking those emotions being sensed. But above all, not keeping your guard up."(1)

Chi-Chi had never understood those words as clearly as she did now. Now, that her fate was in the hands of a man that she had never met. But if there was one thing in which she was determined, it was that she would not go into battle without some type of information!

Chi-Chi pulled Goku aside and sat him down on a chair. Sitting down across from him, she took a deep breath and began.

"Goku, tell me all that you know about the man that you faced. Tell me all about Juunana."

Goku looked surprised for a moment before his face screwed up in concentration. It was a while before he started talking, and then he spoke slowly. "He was short, maybe an inch taller than you. He had shoulder-length black hair, and light blue eyes. It was the eyes that were really strange; they looked like a cat's eyes. He was really slim, but you could tell that he had a bit of muscle definition. I can't remember a lot else, but his fighting style was like nothing I've ever seen before. He could block almost every punch and spear thrust I made as if it were in slow-motion, and I could barely see his counter-attack. I was only able to knock him down once. He had let down his guard because he thought that I was too hurt to move, but I jumped up from the floor and punched him in the stomach. When he reeled back, I was able to get a few hits in, but he side-stepped me and knocked me on the neck."

Chi-Chi grit her teeth and poured over the information. This strange man was stronger than Goku, but she had no idea how powerful Goku really was. It was probably time to test that out. If she could surpass Goku in strength, then she would have a fair chance in defeating the intruders.

"Goku," she said softly. "I'm going to punch you in the face as fast as I can, and you're gonna try and block it."

Goku looked confused. "But Chi-Chi, why would you want to hit me?"

Chi-Chi growled in frustration. "Just think of it as a test. If you can block at least half of the punches that I aim for you, and manage to hit me at least once in return, you'll regain full status as a warrior."

A smile lit up Goku's face. "Fine, but…"

Chi-Chi hadn't hesitated. Her fists blurred toward Goku's face, and his hands shot out to harmlessly knock away her punches. Chi-Chi's eyes widened, but she continued her onslaught with even more ferocity. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a blur of movement, but couldn't move fast enough to stop it. Goku's fist connected with her cheekbone, and she stumbled back, holding her face in bewilderment. 

Chi-Chi removed her hand from her face, and her eyes widened at the sight of the blood staining her fingertips. She stared at it as if in a trance, before looking up at Goku, eyes narrowed.

Goku started forward, looking worried. "I'm sorry, I hadn't met to hit you, it was a reaction…"

Chi-Chi's hand flew upward to silence him. She gazed back down at her hand and lifted it tentatively to her lips, tongue darting out to taste the blood. She frowned in consideration. 'Two,' she thought. 'I aimed at least twenty hits at him, and only two connected. And his fist moved so fast, I couldn't even raise my hands to defend myself.' Her eyebrows furrowed in thoughtfulness and apprehension. 'If I could barely hit him, then how much stronger must be Juunana? Wait! I could barely hit him! How could someone this strong exist? Vegita was always stronger than me, but even he wasn't nearly as powerful as this man. How could someone as strong as this escape my knowledge? Why didn't Yamucha tell me his brother's full capabilities?!'

"You're stronger than my brother," Goku said hesitantly. "He never could lay a single hand on me, even though he's older."

Chi-Chi nodded absentmindedly. "Of course. I'm Priestess." She suddenly turned to look back up at him. "You've proven yourself," she said quietly. "I'll never allow anybody to show prejudice toward you because of some of your…hesitancies…for a few of our rituals. You're my charge now, and I've decided that you'll be made a warrior."

Goku let out a cry of joy and hugged her to him. Taken by surprise, Chi-Chi allowed the embrace for a few moments, but then pushed away embarassedly. Trying to regain some of her dignity, she straightened her hair. "In fact," she added. "I've also decided that you'll be my guardian. You'll protect me from everybody. You're the strongest man that I've ever met. Besides Vegita, I've never met anybody that can come close to rivaling my strength."

Goku stared at her, completely shocked. Had Chi-Chi really just assigned him guardianship of her? What did that mean? He had heard of some Priests having guards before, but only in times of war. Did Chi-Chi really think that Gero was that much of a threat? If so, their entire world was about to be jumbled and reorganized.

"What does that mean? What am I supposed to do?"

Chi-Chi stared shrewdly at him, a thoughtful expression on her face. "I don't know whether or not Gero is going to order me killed. I don't know if he'll give me joint leadership, I just don't know. I'm not sure, I had no visions about this. You will not be my protector in the strictest sense of the word. If Gero order's me executed, you are _not_ to fight unless you believe that you can win." She took a deep breath. What was she doing? "I don't want you to die. I just want you to stay by my side and watch out for me. My main goal is to kill Gero and his children. That is _my_ purpose, and you're not to interfere. However, if small objects try to interfere, I want you to stop them. And you will _not_ to tell Yamucha about this." Chi-Chi sat down, suddenly weary. She laid her head in her hands for a few seconds, then tensed. Looking around the room, eyes narrowed, her eyes finally landed on Goku. "Where _is_ Yamucha?"

Goku shrugged. "He snuck out an hour ago, and told me not to tell you unless you asked. I don't know why."

Chi-Chi rounded on him, suddenly furious. "He left, and you didn't tell me?! How couldn't you tell me? What did he think he was doing, he could be caught and killed! What if something happens to him, the stupid idiot!" Chi-Chi took a deep breath, trying to calm down. "Goku, please. From now on, if you have any type of information, please tell me. Even if you don't think it's important."

Goku nodded and sat on the floor. He closed his eyes. This was all too much. All of the events of the previous days, it was just too much to deal with. The death of his two best friends. Bulma, lying in the street, surrounded by bright red blood. Vegita's tortured face as he picked her up in his arms. The arrival of Gero. How could this happen? How could so many things go wrong in such a short amount of time? He'd never had a great life, being constantly ridiculed and hated. It was hard sometimes, listening to the jeers of other people. Not paying attention to the names and threats, but his friends had always helped him deal with it all. And now they were gone. How could someone so evil have arrived in his beautiful city? It just wasn't fair.

What did Gero want? He was fairly certain that it wasn't just power. Gero wanted something, and he had gone to any lengths to get it. He had killed all those people. All those villagers, lying in their own pools of blood, faces ashen and streaked with red.

And now, being made a warrior and Chi-Chi's protector in the space of a few minutes. Chi-Chi. Goku smiled softly. It hurt just to look at her. He couldn't stand seeing her pain. Gods, she was beautiful. Even now, when she was deathly pale, and her black hair stood out shockingly against her face, she was the most gorgeous creature he had ever seen. Was there any possible way to describe his emotions at this very moment? The warmth billowing through his body, the flush decorating his cheeks. His heart felt like it was going to explode with happiness and fear, and for some strange inexplicable reason, he had the sudden urge to hop around the room.

But at the same time, he was sadder than he had ever been. He had no idea what was going to happen next, and he could only hope that it would all turn out okay. While Chi-Chi had been unconscious, he had heard her screams and sobs. He didn't know what nightmares she had been having, but they must have been awful if they could make her sob like that. Almost unconsciously, he reached out and took Chi-Chi's hand in his.

Chi-Chi gasped softly when she felt Goku's hand slip into hers. It was so warm. Chi-Chi shuddered. She had always been cold. Growing up, she had always slept in layers of clothing, and always with at least three blankets. No matter how hard she tried, she could never shake the cold that would seep into her very soul. The sudden feel of a warm touch completely disoriented her. Almost whimpering, she sat down next to Goku, struggling desperately to retain some of the warmth.

Goku stared down at her in shock. Chi-Chi had lain her head on his shoulder and was almost frantically clutching onto his arm, pressing up against him. He opened his mouth to speak. "Chi-Chi, I…"

Chi-Chi shook her head and interrupted him. "No, please. I'm so cold." She buried her face farther into his chest, clutching onto him. "Why. Why is it that no matter what I do, I'm always so cold?"

Goku put aside all objections and let her hold him. He tentatively wrapped his arms around her, and she rubbed her face against him. Smiling softly, he laid his head on top of hers and closed his eyes. They were both asleep immediately.

******

If you think about it enough, pieces of a puzzle will always fall into place. Goku and Chi-Chi, however, simply don't have enough information yet. Strange, how two people and their actions can effect the entire world. Even stranger, though, is that the power to withstand rests in wait for the ones who will effect everybody, and that it always appears at the most inopportune time. You may not understand this; just know that sooner or later, you will.

******

Rough hands shook Chi-Chi awake. Strange, but her rest had been oddly peaceful. The nightmares that had haunted her dreams every night since Gyuu's death had mysteriously stopped. 

Blinking sleep from her eyes, she focused on a pair of coal-black eyes. Yamucha stared down at her, eyes carefully blank. He pulled her up to her feet and held up a finger to keep her quiet. Chi-Chi looked at him in confusion. Yamucha's gaze softened and he half-way grinned at her. 

"I found a way out," he said. "If you want to, we can leave the city." 

Chi-Chi's eyes hardened and she furrowed her brow indignantly. "If you really think that I'm going to abandon the city, you obviously…"

Yamucha held up another finger to his lips and interrupted her. "I knew that you were going to say that, so I found an alternative. I'm sure that we can sneak into the Chief's temple and kill Gero." He frowned. "I really wouldn't recommend that, though. Gero might me an anemic old man, but his son certainly isn't." He giggled nervously. "I really don't want to face that one. Honestly, I think that guile and trickery will be much more useful right now."

Chi-Chi peered up at him. "Why don't we just capture the old man and hold him prisoner until he agrees to leave?"

Yamucha laughed again, then stifled it when Chi-Chi shot him a death-glare. "I really think that we'd be doing Juunana a favor. He seems awful anxious to get rid of his dad. Hah, he'd probably offer us a position in his little government if we did the job for him."

Chi-Chi frowned at him angrily. "Where's Goku?" she asked. Yamucha jerked his head to another room. "He's trying to get a good view outside, to see if Gero is coming."

Chi-Chi raised an eyebrow and turned to stare at the room where Goku had disappeared into. She closed her eyes. She could still feel the sensation of his arms around her, the way her body molded perfectly to his. She sighed softly. How was it that her entire body had reacted to the simple feeling of her hand in his? There couldn't be any possible way that she could want anybody that much.

Chi-Chi shook her head to rid her memory of those thoughts. She narrowed her eyes in rage. She could concentrate on any task that she'd ever been given, but one man holds her hand, and her self-control goes out the window, lands in the street and gets run over. Repeatedly. 

She took a deep breath and thought. On the one hand, if she were to escape into the jungle with Yamucha and Goku, they would probably be safe. However, not only would she be abandoning her people to their-probably cruel- fate, but she would be running from a challenge. Add that to the fact that life with two men would be undoubtedly difficult. On the other hand, if they snuck into the Chief's temple, they could die, be captured and tortured. Or they could succeed in capturing Gero, and the newcomers could leave the city. Or else Yamucha was right, and Juunana would laugh in their faces, send Gero to his fate, and continue controlling the city. All in all, there weren't many options that would end happily.

Suddenly, Goku burst through the door, and skid to a halt in front of them. He motioned out the door. "Gero, Juunana, and the two with red and yellow are coming."

Yamucha cursed angrily. He turned to Chi-Chi. "What are you going to do? We can still make it."

Chi-Chi bit her lip, and turned to stare at Goku. He was staring straight into her eyes, waiting for instructions. Chi-Chi subdued the myriad of emotions that had rose up at the sight of him and furrowed her brow. There had to be some way to deal with this. Goku drew the dagger from his belt, every muscle in his body tense. Chi-Chi clenched her fists tightly, nails digging into her flesh until blood seeped through her fingers. "Goku," she began. "Is there any way that I can beat him?" Goku bit his lip. He could have sworn that there was a bit of desperation in her voice, but it was so faint that he couldn't be sure. He shook his head. There was simply no way that Chi-Chi stood a chance.

Chi-Chi's shoulder's sagged, then straightened. "I'll offer myself up," she whispered. "I'm not going to risk anybody else being killed." Yamucha and Goku both stood up to argue, but she shot them both a glare and continued. "I'll allow myself to be taken prisoner, but only so that I can learn more about these people. Know your enemy, after all. I'm smart, I can figure out there weaknesses. As long as they don't try to kill me, I'll be fine. I doubt that they'll do that though, most everybody in the city would certainly rise up if they actually tried to hurt me."

Yamucha glared at the floor. Goku, however, is the one that voiced all of their concerns. "And what happens if they do try to kill you? You can't fight them." 

Chi-Chi shrugged carelessly, trying desperately to keep a calm façade. If she panicked…Maybe, if no one talked about the possibility of her death, it wouldn't happen. Maybe they wouldn't try to kill her. She struggled to hold back her tears. No! She was determined to die strong and brave, without crying. She would hold back the tears.

"If they try to kill me, then I can't really do anything about that, can I? I'm not strong enough to stop them." She met Goku's eyes. "You're not to try to stop them, do you hear me?! I'm letting myself be captured willingly, and I swear that if either of you try to stop me, I'll find a way to hurt you very, very badly."

At that moment, the doors burst open.

Four figures were silhouetted against the door frame. The one in front really did look like an anemic old man. He was fairly tall, with a tan, handsome face, and long white hair. He would look almost like a kindly grandpa, if it weren't for the ice cold blue eyes. The one directly beside him had to be Juunana. The only way Chi-Chi could describe him was absolutely gorgeous. His perfectly chiseled features, the beautiful persian blue eyes, the long black hair; everything about him was flawless.

Behind them were two people that Chi-Chi had never seen before, but suspected that they were the two that Yamucha had briefly mentioned previously. The girl was beautiful, with golden colored hair, the same cold blue eyes, and the same physical features as Juunana, and the tall man beside her was probably her brother, on account of the same eyes, but with flaming red hair, and an awesome physique.

Juunana grabbed Chi-Chi by the arm and dragged her outside of the building, then threw her on her knees in front of Gero. Yamucha and Goku both started to run outside, but the tall red-head blocked the entrance.

Chi-Chi ground her teeth together and stood up, determined to look her captor in the eye. Gero quirked an eyebrow at her, eyes traveling all over her face. He suddenly smiled coldly. "You're the Priestess?"

Chi-Chi nodded wordlessly. Gero burst out laughing. "I guess that you're wondering what I've decided to do with you," he said, more of a statement than a question. He continued without waiting for an answer. "To tell you the truth, I had wanted to see you awake before I made my decision. You're two guards," he said, jerking his head behind him to Goku and Yamucha, "have been fairly adamant on that point. They refused to let anybody into the house while you were asleep, even on penalty of death." He grinned again, letting his eyes travel all over her, much to Chi-Chi's indignation. "I was going to just give you a public death, but now that I've seen you…" Gero grabbed her chin, not noticing when she jerked at his touch. He tilted her head from side to side, admiring her features. "I think that keeping you will be much more beneficial to everybody. Who knows, I may even make a gift of you to my son." He smirked, and grabbed her chest with bruising force. 

There was a sudden roar behind her. At that sexual gesture, both Goku and Yamucha had screamed in rage and attempted to break free of the huge red-head, but it was Yamucha with his smaller frame that managed to get loose. He squeezed under the larger man's arms and ran at Gero, spear at the ready. He was actually in mid-leap when a knife seemed to erupt from his chest. He let out a strangled cry and fell to the ground.

Chi-Chi screamed and tore herself away from Gero to kneel beside Yamucha. Behind her, Goku was roaring in rage, trying to get away from the red-head who had him in a strangle-hold. She tried to tug the knife out of his chest, but Yamucha grabbed at her hands and stopped her. There was already blood forming on the corner of his mouth, and a tear slid down his cheek.

Chi-Chi wasn't aware of anything; all she knew was that she was sobbing and that the man in front of her was bleeding to death. Yamucha opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. He coughed, and blood splattered on Chi-Chi's face. She shook her head, trying to block out the sight in front of her. 

Yamucha grabbed hold of Chi-Chi's hands and held them to his chest. He opened his mouth again, but he couldn't seem to speak. Yamucha grimaced in pain. Gods, it hurt so much. His lungs were probably filling with blood. He coughed again, and more blood sprayed onto the face of the woman in front of him. Why couldn't he seem to talk?

Chi-Chi shook her head, tears running down her cheeks to land on Yamucha's face. Oh gods, he was going to die, she was going to be left all alone again. No, that wasn't true, Goku would still be here, but… Why was it that whenever she started building her life back up, it would only be torn down again? Why was it that everybody that she cared for died? She sobbed brokenly, fisting her hands. Yamucha opened his mouth trying desperately to speak again. He was mouthing a single word over and over again. Chi-Chi bent down, trying to hear what he was saying. Strange, it sounded oddly like…love.

Wait. Love?

Chi-Chi's eyes filled up again, and her throat closed off. No, Yamucha couldn't love her. She had always known that he had had some type of feelings toward her, but love? No, he couldn't love her, not now, not when he was going to die! Her chest seized, and she shook her head.

"You love me?" 

Yamucha smiled sadly and took her hands to press against his cheek. He mouthed something else, and she once again pressed her ear against his mouth. What was he saying? She couldn't tell. She withdrew and shook her head, wiping her eyes. He coughed and spoke a little bit louder. "Go."

Chi-Chi shook her head harder. "What, Yamucha? What? Go to what? Gods, you can't leave, please, you can't leave."

Yamucha turned to his brother. Goku stopped struggling with his captor, and met his brother's gaze. Yamucha nodded slightly, and Goku returned the gesture, tears forming in his eyes.

At that moment, Yamucha's eyes closed, and his hand went limp.

Chi-Chi shook her head once more. "No," she whispered. She choked back a sob, and wiped her eyes. Struggling to her feet, she turned to look at the group in front of her. The blonde. It was the blonde that had thrown the knife at Yamucha. Chi-Chi started for her, but the Juunana grabbed her shoulder. The raven-haired youth smiled at her, somewhere between a smirk and a sad grin. He took her hand and started walking her back to the Chief's temple. Gero had already left, disgusted at the display of emotions. Chi-Chi followed numbly. All of the anger had drained out of her when Juunana had stopped her, and all that remained was a dully throbbing sadness.

Juunana turned to the red-head. "Bring her guard along."

He continued walking, guiding Chi-Chi toward the temple. "The old man's not going to hurt you, or your guard over there," he said conversationally. "Of course, he's not going to be around much longer."

Chi-Chi turned empty eyes to look at him. "What do you mean?"

Juunana smirked at her. "I mean that he's going to die sometime very soon. You have nothing to fear, though, ex-Priestess. I'm not going to hurt you, either."

They continued walking for a few minutes, but it all ground to a stop when they reached the city square.

Juunana took a step forward, but Chi-Chi was frozen in place, staring at the carnage in front of her. Gods, there were so many bodies. Hundreds of dead, rotting, putrid bodies were piled high in the midst of the square, the stench of their blood permeating the air. Juunana turned to see why she had stopped, then grinned slightly.

"Oh. My father's warning to those that would rise against him. Extremely crude, but when you're weak, you live for shows of power."

Chi-Chi shook her head in disbelief. It couldn't be true. There were hundreds of people slung over each other. The elders, the women, the children. Oh gods, she knew that little girl, strewn across the road with both of her arms gone! That was the sweet, curious little child who always came to hear her stories, and to see her exhibitions. The bile rose up in her mouth, and she collapsed. She was falling through an ugly gray sky, and the polluted wind was whipping through her hair. An instant before she lost consciousness, she felt a pair of ice-cold hands lock around her own.

A/N: Yaah, I'm finally done with this chapter. Personally, I didn't like this one very much. I just thought that it was boring. Not enough romance, not enough violence, and I'm not happy with the way that I described Yamucha's death. However, the reader's decide. BTW, I need feedback on two categories. First off, today's Saturday. If I can get 10 reviews by Tuesday, then the next chapter of LotS will be up by the Tuesday after. Second, I'm deciding whether or not to add some sexual content. I'll go with popular demand- review and tell me if you want a lemon, a lime, or no sex whatsoever. I'm more inclined to lime's, but it's your decision. 

(1)- I got this quote from the book "Through a Brief Darkness," but I changed a whole lot of the words. Just making sure I don't get sued.

DaneGohan- Thanx, you're reviews mean so much to me! I'm trying to utilize SpellCheck to the max, but I know that nothing's perfect J 

Chrystaline- Thank you for the advice! I'll try not to do the 'dead' thing again. Yeah, there are going to be four parts, with each a different time-line.

Seraphsaiyan- I know that I got a little angsty with the deaths, but hopefully it'll all turn out okay. Thanks!

Girl Pan- Thank you so much! When a person almost starts crying, it shows that I'm doing a good job portraying emotions. I almost got high off of your review, with all of the praise. I luv you!

Chuquita- I love InuYasha! Yeah, I love seeing Chi-Chi as the heroine, she get's so little appreciation. 


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